I’d thought that a 30 yard dumpster would suffice but that was not to be the case. Two refrigerators, two sofas, six mattress sets, several desks, numerous nightstands and a lot of assorted junk later and the tip was overflowing.

As soon as we got the back yard cleared, more trash from the interior filled the void. This particular heap of furniture was great fun because it required heaving these brocade monsters from the second floor balcony.

At least some of the rooms are looking and smelling better. This room had two dog stained carpets which were providing the sweet scent of Ode de Pooch. Now that they’re gone, the fug is receding.

In our digging, we also found many treasures including these two pixies that would be well suited for a Stephen King movie.

Stay tuned for the next chapter where we have high and futile hopes that a second 30 yard dumpster will have the last of the junk cleared.

We knew that there was a lot of cleanup to do but after three pickup truck loads to the dump, we decided to rent a 30 yard skip. It was apparent that a past tenant of the place was a collector of many many items of dubious value. There were dozens of bags full of household garbage in the yard that were just decomposing slowly and a least 100 bags of used clothing.

In between flurries of cleaning, I also started measuring the building so I can produce accurate floor plans and a shopping list of parts that are missing. There are several missing door locks and a few doors as well that need to be sourced locally. Most of the door knobs are missing as well but I have a collection of fancy Victorian brass knobs that will work fine.

As for the measuring, I did that myself with the building staring at me as if it wanted to ask what I was up to. It felt a little creepy with the wind blowing through the open windows and some of the doors closing with a slam from the movement of air. Oh, and there are swallows living in the bathroom light fixture to add a little chirping music. I sure hope the creepiness clears up as we redo the interior. We do have reports that a neighborhood three year old was heard to say “Bad house” and “That’s where the ghosts live.”

This is the beginning of an adventure into the past. It is not for the feint of heart; in fact, the interior is downright scary. My wife and I intend to renovate this hotel and make it our home with as much old west charm as we can keep. Since it’s an historically listed building, the exterior has to remain as original as possible. The interior can be completely changed by code but we want to keep the original layout intact as much as possible.

This is the saloon looking out toward Main St. Before renovation starts, all the trash and abandoned belongings from the last tenants have to be removed.

The master suite upstairs is in serious need of repair with water damage and up to five layers of wallpaper on top of decaying plaster. This is typical of the entire second floor.

The back yard is a jungle of junk.

This photo is of Charlie Gruber’s hearse at his funeral. He owned the Union until his death in 1886.